Meet The New Starters For 'Pokémon Scarlet' And 'Violet'

The ninth generation of Pokémon was announced on Sunday (27 February) during Pokémon Presents and people have already lost it over the new look. The twin games called Pokémon Scarlet and Violet appear to feature Pokemon from almost every generation and are set to be released before the end of this year.

Of all the Pokémon revealed though, fans were most excited to see the three new starter Pokémon. They follow the usual grass, fire, and water typings, and the typical trio of Overgrow, Blaze, and Torrent abilities. However, for the first time in the franchise it seems each 'mon has their own equally large and rabid fan base already. So let's take an in depth look at our three future babies.

Those who didn't meet the sweet angels yet can see them in the trailer here.

The grass starter is Sprigatito. The official website describes it as "The capricious, attention-seeking Grass Cat Pokémon". The Spanish setting for this generation gives us a hint to their English names. It's name is a mix of 'sprig' and 'gatito' the Spanish for kitten. The Japanese Nyaoha also has a Spanish root, mixing 'nya' the Japanese for meow, with 'oha' small leaf. The 'oha' part also has the same sound as 'hoja' the Spanish for leaf.

While the cutsey look of our grass kitten hints at the final evolution being a dual grass and fairy type, there are other possibilities. The pattern on both Sprigatito's face and chest look like cactus leaves. With the desert featuring in the trailer it could also hint to a grass, and ground or rock dual type.

 The fire starter Fuecoco's name is derived from the Spanish 'fuego' for fire and 'cocodrilo' meaning crocodile. The Japanese name Hogeta mixes 'ho' Japanese for fire with the English gator. 'Hoge' is also the sound a confused person makes hinting at its ditzy personality. It's officially described as "The laid-back Fire Croc Pokémon that does things at its own pace."

Fuecoco may be called a crocodile, but many have noticed it looks similar to a dragon. Particularly to the dragons featured in Puzzle Bobble. This of course suggests the final evolution could be fire and dragon typing. However, the shape and type make it look like a chilli, so the other theory could be the not yet seen fire and grass dual type Pokémon.

The final starter is the water type Quaxly. This is the only starter which doesn't have a clear Spanish root though some have speculated it mixes a duck's quack with a sound similar to 'aqua' meaning water. The Japanese description is a pun, leading fans to believe it's based on a type of small duck with blue feet called the Eurasian Teal. It is described as "The earnest and tidy Duckling Pokémon."

Being a duck, the obvious typing for the final evolution seems to be water and flying but we've seen a few examples of this already. Quaxly's hair has been interpreted as a kind of sailor or pirate's hat, leading to thoughts of water and ghost. The other most probable idea links back to the Spanish influences. Quaxly's hat and stance gives the appearance of a matador, which suggests water and fighting as the final type.